Many of the electric vehicle blogs that I follow are all buzzing right now over the idea of supercapacitors — well, more accurately, graphene-based supercapacitors, which could potentially solve a few of the issues that EV’s currently face with market adoption.
What’s the big deal? Well with batteries, one can store a great deal of energy in the cells, but the rate of discharge (and the rate of charging) is relatively limited. Capacitors on the other hand have the inverse problem, quick to charge and discharge, the amount of energy that they can hold however, is relatively small.
In theory, supercapacitors have the best qualities of both batteries and capacitors, featuring both high-energy capacities and quick discharge/recharge rates, and in this realm graphene is showing to have very promising results.
Basically a molecule-thin sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a lattice, until recently producing graphene has been a very laborious undertaking, and one that did not scale well for mass production. However, some clever scientists at UCLA have come up with a relatively cheap and easy way to produce graphene sheets, and the technology bodes well for making supercapacitors a more practical solution for electric vehicles.
Allowing vehicles to rapidly charge (as in within a few minutes, instead of hours), supercapacitors solve the great recharge-time issue with EV’s, and would potentially be on par with gasoline vehicles, if not quicker in this regard.
The down side is that graphene supercapacitors are currently about half as energy-dense as the current crop of lithium-ion batteries, which makes them physically cumbersome in applications like on a motorcycle.
Between Ken Block’s gymkhana escapades through the streets of San Francisco, and this stuntastic video of Robbie Maddison riding through an airplane graveyard, it is clear that DC Shoes gets this whole viral marketing video thang. There is a weird wild west vibe going on here with Maddison’s Air.Craft video shoot, and we kind of dig it…kiss goodbye to 10 minutes of your life, after the jump.
The Isle of Man has to be the ultimate location for a motorcycle commercial. Not only does the small island in the middle of the Irish Sea host the famous Isle of Man TT, but the small country’s picturesque hillsides and ocean backdrops make for some spectacular visuals in their own right. Add in the lack of a speed limit outside city limits, a thriving motoring culture, and well…you get the idea: two-wheeled paradise.
Taking Kawasaki’s TT rider James Hillier and the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, Kawasaki launched its latest supersport machine at the Isle of Man last year with one of the more compelling series of videos and photographs we have seen in a while…and they pulled a few awards in the process as well. Now, Team Green is giving us a glimpse in what went into the commercial’s production. It’s good stuff. Check it out after the jump.
I was informed by our favorite Slovenian stunt rider, Rok Bagoroš, that today is apparently Valentine’s Day — the much feared day of forced romance.
For those in the motorcycling community opting not to call today Anna Howard Shaw Day, February 14th is really a day best spent with your special someone — that v-twin or inline-four in your life that really makes your heart race each time you are around her.
To help show your appreciation for everything she does throughout the year, gifts are always welcomed of course, and what girl doesn’t like a new pair of shoes? Some Bridgestone or Pirellis perhaps?
Maybe your special someone is into some more…hardcore, in which case we recommend getting some fresh kneepucks and maybe a chain or two (properly tensioned of course).
Lastly, don’t forget your leather suit, and always practice safe motorcycling.
Condensing three days into just three minutes, KTM has a nice timelapse video for us that shows the complete build-up of two 2013 KTM RC250GP Moto3 race bikes for the Ajo Team — the same bikes that would go on to dominate the the Moto3 test at Valencia earlier this month.
While the 2013 version of the KTM RC250GP may look similar to its predecessor, KTM has in fact made many changes to the 250cc race bike.
“Basically the 2013 KTM RC250GP is a completely new bike. The only things that have not been changed are the rear swingarm unit and the wheels,” says Wolfgang Felber, KTM Engineer and Road Racing Senior Manager.
“All other components have been modified or bettered: frame, fork, tank, airbox, exhaust etc. Several parts have been simplified because the bike could be 3 to 4 kilos lighter. The engine received only marginal treatment because last year it already turned out to be very powerful and reliable as well. So power is up only a little.”
Self-described as an “all access behind the scenes with the fastest riders in America,” Road Warriors is a documentary that follows five riders in the AMA Pro Road Racing Championship over the 2012 season: Josh Hayes, Danny Eslick, Melissa Paris, Elena Myers, and Austin Dehaven.
In a series that desperately needs to promote the sport and the riders within it, Road Warriors looks to be a much needed shot in the arm for AMA Pro Racing. We hope the full-length documentary is just as good as the trailer, and that it helps generate some buzz for the 2013 season. Check it out after the jump, and be sure to follow the film’s Facebook page.
Ending a 14 year relationship, the 2013 World Superbike Championship season sees Team Alstare under the flag of a new manufacturer, as the Belgian squad closes its story with Suzuki Racing, and begin a new one with Ducati Corse. An adjustment for many in the paddock, the name Alstare has always been synonymous with Suzuki, though the team’s absence this last season was a noticeable one, as Team Alstare has always been one of the top crews in WSBK.
In that regard, it seems fitting then that Alstare should find a partnership with another great name in World Superbike racing, and so while the name Team Ducati Alstare sounds a bit strange to the ear, it makes sense in the head. Bidding goodbye to Suzuki, and hello to Ducati, Team Alstare has put together two videos, which have more than a touch of bittersweet to them. Clearly, this is a wound that will still require some time to heal.
If I had to forecast the results of the 2013 World Superbike Championship this very day, without seeing the teams grid up for their first race at Phillip Island, my money would be on the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team. The consolidation of the factory BMW Motorrad team and BMW Motorrad Italia team into one unit, the German brand has compiled all its racing resources into one stout package.
Retaining the formidable services of Marco Melandri, who was in the hunt for the 2012 WSBK title to the very end of the season despite injuries, BMW Motorrad’s number-two rider, Chaz Davies, is no slouch either. With both BMW-men showing the prowess of the WSBK-spec S1000RR earlier this year at Jerez, it was Melandri who topped the time sheets on the test’s dry second day. Sending a clear message of things to come this season.
While I still expect to see strong competition from Tom Sykes and the factory Kawasaki team, and I also don’t think you can count out the Aprilia riders or even Ducati’s Carlos Checa, there is however a tremendous amount of expectation, preparation, and money behind BMW’s World Superbike entry. This year I think we will finally see the team’s hard work payoff in the championship points.
